Electrical signalling and remote control circuit arrangements



y 1964 R. s. DICKINSON 3,140,409

ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING AND REMOTE CONTROL CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS Filed Aug. 27, 1962 35 g Q1 37 26 16 Q 14 14 2% O O 12 20 I INVENTOR:

Ronni. 5. DICKIN$N Amursrs United States Patent 3,140,409 ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING AND REMOTE CON- TROL CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS Ronald Sidney Dickinson, York, England, assignor to Armstrong Patents Co. Limited, London, England Filed Aug. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 220,269 Claims priority, application Great Britain Aug. 30, 1961 2 Claims. (Cl. 307-115) This invention concerns electrical signalling and remote control circuit arrangements.

According to the present invention, each of the stationary contacts of a rotary electrical switch is only momentarily traversed by the switch rotor as the latter passes from one rest position to the next, eachof said contacts being connected to a corresponding stationary contact of a second rotary switch having its rotor carried by the driven shaft of a solenoid-operated stepping mechanism, and said stepping mechanism is arranged to have its solenoid-energising circuit completed through corresponding pairs of stationary contacts on the two switches when said pairs of stationary contacts are momentarily connected together, and thereafter to place the rotor of said second switch in connection with the stationary contact of said second switch corresponding to the stationary contact of the first switch which is next to be traversed by the rotor of said first switch.

More particularly, the present invention provides an electrical signalling and remote control arrangement comprising a first rotary switch having a plurality of stationary contacts arranged in a circular row, a rotor having a plurality of rest positions arranged one intermediate each adjacent pair of stationary contacts and adapted on rotation to make momentary connection with successive stationary contacts, and a common contact permanently in sliding engagement with said rotor, a second rotary switch having a plurality of stationary contacts arranged in a circular row and corresponding in number to the number of stationary contacts of the first switch, a rotor having a plurality of rest positions arranged one in register with each of said stationary contacts and adapted to make and remain in electrical connection with the appropriate stationary contact in each of said rest positions, and a common contact permanently in sliding engagement with said rotor, each of the stationary contacts of the first rotary switch being electrically connected with one of the stationary contacts of the second rotary switch, and a solenoid oper- :ated rotary stepping mechanism having its solenoid- -energising circuit completed through said two common contacts and a driven shaft arranged to rotate the rotor of said second switch, said last-mentioned rotor being initially set and thereafter retained by said stepping :mechanism in register with the stationary contact of said rsecond switch corresponding to that stationary contact iof said first switch which is next due to be momentarily traversed by the rotor of said first switch.

Since the only time during which corresponding stationary contacts of the two rotary switches are connected together is during operation of the first rotary switch to move it from one rest position to the next succeeding rest position, the energising circuit of the stepping mechanism is itself only momentarily energised and at all other times the supply source is disconnected. Moreover, due to the arrangement whereby the rotor of the second switch always rests on the stationary contact corresponding to that in the first switch which is next to be traversed by the rotor of the first switch, the angular position of the latter rotor is an indication of the next position or condition to be assumed by the stepping mechanism. This indication is valuable, for example, in remote control arrangements where the stepping mechanism also acts as a remote control device for carrying out'some desired function under the control, at a position remote from said stepping mechanism, of the first rotary switch. Conversely, the arrangement proposed by the invention may be used as a signalling arrangement to indicate that some remotely controlled function has, in fact taken place; thus, for example, where a hydraulic transmitter is used to actuate a re motely situated hydraulic receiver, the latter may be coupled to the rotor of the first rotary switch, and the stepping mechanism, situated at the transmitter position, then indicates by its driven shaft the condition of the hydraulic receiver.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, which shows diagrammatically one circuit arrangement embodying the invention.

In the drawing, a first rotary switch generally denoted 10 has a carrier member 12 provided with four equiangularly spaced stationary contacts 14 arranged around its periphery. Centrally of the carrier member 12, there is provided a rotor 16 having a radially projecting wiper 18 adapted to make a sliding connection with successive stationary contacts 14 as the rotor is rotated. It will be noted that the angular spacing between adjacent stationary contacts 14 is greater than the width of the wiper 18 which is arranged, in each rest position of the rotor, to'lie between an adjacent pair of stationary contacts. This is accomplished by mounting the rotor 16, by means of a central slot 20, on a driving shaft (not'shown) of asuitable indexing mechanism. Such indexing mechanisms are commonly used to operate rotary manual switches, for example, and often employ a dimpled detent plate and resiliently loaded detent ball cooperating therewith, each rest position of the rotor being defined by the engagement of said ball in a dimple of the plate. Using such a mechanism, it is possible to ensure that the detent ball cannot remain intermediate two adjacent dimples in the detent plate, and hence that the wiper 16, in passing from one rest position to the next, makes only a momentary connection with the stationary contact 14 intermediate those two positions. As shown, the rotor is in permanent sliding engagement with a common contact 22 connected to the positive terminal of a battery 24 having its negative terminal connected to earth. 7

Each of the stationary contacts 14 of the switch 10 is connected to a corresponding stationary contact 26 of a second rotary switch 28 having a rotor 30 with radial wipers 32 adapted to engage successive contacts 26 as the rotor 30 is rotated. The switch 28 also has a common contact 34 which is in permanent sliding engagement with the rotor 30 and which is connected to one end of the solenoid 36 of a rotary stepping mechanism 35, the other end of the solenoid 36 being connected to earth. The solenoid 36 may, for example, operate a ratchet (not shown) which rotates a driven shaft 37 carrying the rotor 30 by means of a slot 31 therein, the arrangement being such that, as shown, the rotor 30 rests on one of the stationary contacts 26 at the end of each ratchet operation. Moreover, the stationary contact 26 upon which the rotor 30 then rests corresponds to that stationary contact 14 of the switch 10 which is due next to be traversed by the wiper 18.

In operation of the described circuit arrangement for remote control purposes, the rotor 16 of the switch 10 is manually rotated from one rest position to the next succeeding rest position, and during this movement, momentarily engages with the stationary contact 14 between said two positions, thus momentarily connecting the solenoid 36 to the battery 24, by way of the corresponding stationary contact 26 of switch 28, the rotor 30 and commoncontact 34 of that switch. The stepping mechanism 35 therefore operates, and moves the wiper 32 onto the next succeeding contact 26 of switch 28, ready for a subsequent operation of the switch 10. At all other times, the arrangement whereby the wiper 18 of switch '10 r"1or'm'ally 'lies between two adjacent contacts 14 ensuresthat-the-solenoid; energising circuit is interrupted; In the meanwhile, the position of the driving shaft; (not shown) of therotor "16"indi'cates the instan taneous c'ondition of the stepping mechanism.

When the circuit, is used forsignalling purposes, the

rotor 16 of the r switch is actuated'by the remotely controlled element of a remote control system, and the stepping mechanism 35 isarranged'at the control'posi-" tionof said system. The stepping mechanism 35 thus follows the'actuation of the switch 10 to confirm that operationsof said remotely controlled element have taken place, and in addition to the rotor '30 of switch 28;

the driven shaft '37 ofthe "r'nechanismmay be arranged to carry or to operate a rotary disc or other indicating means to actually identify the operations which have taken place.

I claim:

1. Anelectrical signalling and remote control circuit arrangement'comprising a first multiple position rotary switch including aplurality' of stationary contacts and a rotor arranged successively and momentarily to traverse each ofsaid contacts in' passing from one switch position to the next succeeding switch position, a second rotary switch includinga second rotor and a second plurality of stationary contacts each electrically connected to a corresponding one"o'f"the stationary contacts of said first switch; asolenoid operated stepping mechanism includinga driven shaft, said second rotor being rotatable by said driven'shaft, and a' solenoid energising circuit"mo'- mentarily completed through eacliconn'ectedpairof stationary contacts on the two switches whenever said rotors simultaneously register with the respective contacts of said pair; whereby said' driving shaft steps-said second rotor into connection with the stationary contact of said second switch corresponding to the stationary contact of said first switch which is next to be traversed by said first rotor.

2. An electrical signalling and remote control arrangement comprising a firstrotary switch having'a plurality of stat ionarycontactslarrangedin a 'circular row, a rotor having a plurality of rest positions arranged one intermediate each adjacent pair of stationary contacts and adapted onrotation to make momcntary con nectionwith'succes sive stationary contacts, and a common contact permanently in sliding engagement with said rotor, a second rotary switch having a plurality of stationary contacts arranged in a circular row and corresponding in number to the number'of stationary contacts of the first switch, a

rotor having a plurality of rest'positions arranged one in I register with each of said stationary contacts and adapted to make andremain in electrical connection with the appropriate stationary contact in each of said rest positions, and a common contact premanently in sliding engagement j with said rotor, each of the stationary contacts of the:

first rotary switch being electrically connected with one contactofs'aidfirst switch which is next due to be momentarily traversed by the rotor of said first switch.

No references cited. 

1. AN ELECTRICAL SIGNALLING AND REMOTE CONTROL CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING A FIRST MULTIPLE POSITION ROTARY SWITCH INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF STATIONARY CONTACTS AND A ROTOR ARRANGED SUCCESSIVELY AND MOMENTARILY TO TRANSVERSE EACH OF SAID CONTACTS IN PASSING FROM ONE SWITCH POSITION TO THE NEXT SUCEEDING SWITCH POSITION, A SECOND ROTARY SWITCH INCLUDING A SECOND ROTOR AND A SECOND PLURALITY OF STATIONARY CONTACTS EACH ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO A CORRESPONDING ONE OF THE STATIONARY CONTACTS OF SAID FIRST SWITCH, A SOLENOID OPERATED STEPPING MECHANISM INCLUDING A DRIVEN SHAFT, SAID SECOND ROTOR BEING ROTATABLE BY SAID DRIVEN SHAFT, AND A SOLENOID ENERGISING CIRCUIT MOMENTARILY COMPLETED THROUGH EACH CONNECTED PAIR OF STATIONARY CONTACTS ON THE TWO SWITCHES WHENEVER SAID ROTORS SIMULTANEOUSLY REGISTER WITH THE RESPECTIVE CONTACTS OF SAID PAIR, WHEREBY SAID DRIVING SHAFT STEPS SAID SECOND ROTOR INTO CONNECTION WITH THE STATIONARY CONTACT OF SAID SECOND SWITCH CORRESPONDING TO THE STATIONARY CONTACT OF SAID FIRST SWITCH WHICH IS NEXT TO BE TRAVERSED BY SAID FIRST ROTOR. 